Leica X1: Low Light Auto Focus Problems

[davidhunternyc]

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My X1 has been having a difficult time auto focusing in low light situations. In particular, I have been photographing the Brooklyn Bridge at night, and after 200 shots, only a very few shots actually locked onto the subject. The problem might not be the camera but the subject I'm shooting. The camera is set to 11 point focusing mode but it just will not lock onto the image. Maybe the lights on the bridge are a problem for the X1. Unfortunately, in the image below, the Brooklyn Bridge is under construction and the Manhattan Bridge, just beyond it, does not have its lights turned on. This photo was among only a handful that auto focused properly. In order to get a good shot of this subject, all the gods are going to have to come together to help me with this one. Unfortunately, I am going to have to wait till construction on the Brooklyn Bridge is finished. In the meantime, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get the camera to auto focus properly? Thanks.

 

[h00ligan]

Did yu try spot focus on one of the lights? May be easier to just focus to infinity manually.

[pop]

Please pardon me if I overlook something essential.

 

It seems to me that the bridge is at a distance of more than a thousand times your focal length. What's to keep you from setting your camera to manual focus and setting the distance to infinity?

[davidhunternyc]

Did yu try spot focus on one of the lights? May be easier to just focus to infinity manually.

 

Please pardon me if I overlook something essential.

 

It seems to me that the bridge is at a distance of more than a thousand times your focal length. What's to keep you from setting your camera to manual focus and setting the distance to infinity?

 

Thanks guys. Yes, I will try two different things. I will spot focus and also manual focus, setting the distance to infinity. I will let you know how it turns out.

[gar1013]

Even though multi-point focus seems like a good idea, I find myself turning it off because it never seems to focus on what I think is important.

 

In your case, manual focus is totally the way to go - no chance of it screwing up.

[JeTexas]

Spot focus seems to work much better than any other mode. However, for this shot, I agree with everyone who already said to just manual focus.

[hhanebeck]

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I have had the same issue in low light and found that it helps when you point your spot focus to an area with high contrast e.g. the collar or lips of a person or a beam on the bridge. If you use spot focus, although everyone is absolutely right that manual is the way to go in your particular situation, it may take a bit of searching for the best area before the AF locks in. However, when it does the results are usually very reliable.

 

Also, when you switch to manual focus the X1 uses the last AF setting from the previous shot. I found that you can spot focus once and then switch to manual as long as the distance to the subject does not change. This gives you much faster shots when you don't have the luxury of infinite distance.

 

Your shot is excellent. Like it a lot. It would be nice to see your final result here. : )

[phancj]

Honestly I have used the X1 in many low light situations and had no problems, but then I have never tried the 11 point focus, I use selective one point or spot. No issue at all.

 

In fact, I find the X1 more capable than my DSLR (D300) in low light, unbelievable but true.

[Guest stnami]

unbelievable but true.

.........something that cannot and will not be backed up

[DwF]

I was shooting north on the East River at the 59th Street bridge last week (1AM) and found in the little time I had (parked illegally) that it was a challenge to make a nice exposure mainly getting good light and texture in the water. I could post what I did there but I like what you have here much more. In fact, your picture is really nice!

 

I had some success earlier that evening in the Village so here is one that I did there. It was made at f 2.8, 1/30th and 800 ISO. - lightened just a tad in PS.

 

I arrived in time to make one exposure there before this one and I imagine looking back that I metered and focused on the darker pavement near the taxi knowing that:

 

1. I needed to be wide-open (limiting dof) but needed the passer by, in this case girl on bicycle to be in focus not to mention the light post as well.

2. The cafe needed to be in focus with detail inside and not blown out around the sign.

3. If the trash can in the foreground went to black, it would not have been good. I am happy that this image remains un-cropped.

 

Again an earlier exposure gave me that information before she showed up!

 

David

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[davidhunternyc]

Besides the useful information and suggestions, thanks for the positive comments on my Brooklyn Bridge photo. Again, I just wish that construction work would finish and that all the bridges lights would work properly. I have photographed this bridge several times now and I have learned how to get a smooth image without the noise associated with photos taken in low light. Initially, I did what everyone else does; I shot at ISO 1600 with various exposure times. I wasn't very pleased. So what I ended up doing was lowering the ISO to 800 and doubled the exposure time (using a tripod, of course). This photo was shot with 1 second exposure time. It is very smooth and I'm pleased with the results but, if I had tried what others have suggested here, I would've had more photos that were successful. I find it interesting that others have had difficulty shooting the East River with the X1 also. I have had no problems shooting street scenes or dark interiors with the X1. The Brooklyn Bridge was the first time that the X1 kept giving me blanks. Nice to see it has a personality.